We'll Believe a Man Can WHAT!
by Thuktun Flishithy
Summary: The year is 1964, though the people of the Citadel don't know that date. Earth is unknown to them, a nice little blue world in an isolated corner of the galaxy. Yet, Earth's impact on the galaxy will be known far and wide, when its greatest hero decides to broaden his reach. The galaxy's going to be a nicer place, assuming everyone's brains don't break first. Humorous snippets.
1. Chapter 1

**Date: 2464 G.S**

 **Location: Low Palaven Orbit**

Ranen hated flying cruise liners.

It wasn't the pay that bothered him. In fact, the pay was good, much better than a lot of other jobs he'd worked. No, it was... the lack of excitement. Sure, one had to be well-trained in order to be entrusted with hundreds of lives, but very rarely did anything serious happen with cruise liners, especially in the heart of Turian space. Occasionally, one would hear of pirate raids, but those were on the very fringes of Citadel space, and even those were a rarity these days.

"Final reentry trajectory has been prepared," Tarus said beside him.

"Understood," he replied. "Field integrity is holding. Meteorological data indicates low levels of turbulence."

"Moving in for final approach."

Through the camera feeds of the cockpit, he could see the silver shores of Palaven beneath him. It was a beautiful sight, he had to admit, but he'd be glad to return home to Aephus. Maybe he'd finally pay to have that heart flutter fixed, so he could finally be a fighter pilot like his father before him...

That was when things went wrong.

There was a faint pop, then everything lurched to the side; it was only due to his seatbelt that Ranen avoided smashing right into Tarus. Years of military training kicked in, and he felt his mind clear as he assessed the situation.

One of the field generators must have failed, leaving only one to support the craft as it decelerated. They were uneven, now, and most likely going in for a spiral. Turning off the other field generator would stop the spiral, but doom the craft to burning up in reentry at such a steep angle. He need to act fast, before the acceleration induced a blackout.

Reaching for the controls, he managed to ease off the spinning, but not completely. The liner was still falling, parts of its structure buckling from the stresses placed on it. If he were at a lower altitude, he could ease it into a glide and land it roughly, but they were still in the outer reaches of the mesophere; that wouldn't be possible.

Flipping on the cabin speakers, he said, "This is your pilot speaking. Brace for impact."

Thank the Spirits that the cabin behind him was soundproof, otherwise he likely would've heard two hundred various sophonts panicking. He couldn't blame them; it was never easy to come to grips with your mortality. As for himself...

Despite facing the likelihood of his death, he felt a strange calm fall over him. If he did his job right, then perhaps there would still be survivors. No doubt the traffic control on the ground and in orbit had taken notice, and were likely scrambling a rescue team.

With that in mind, he kept at the controls, fighting to keep the liner from falling into a death spiral. Talus was doing the same, rapidly playing with the thrusters and trying to spread out the field.

For the briefest of moments, he could've sworn he saw a red blur race by the window.

He didn't have much time to process that, before the spinning suddenly stopped. He lurched in his seat again, but it was far less rough than before. It took him a few moments to realize that the liner was righting itself, and resuming its original course.

Had the Spirits taken pity on him and the passengers? Perhaps the generator had managed to turn itself back on, or a rescue craft was assisting them already.

"D-do you see that, Captain?" Tarus's voice was uncharacteristically shaky as he pointed to one of the camera feeds.

Ranen spared a glance over, and froze.

There was a... person holding the wing of the liner, pressing against it with strong hands. Ranen blinked a few times, trying to make sense of what he saw. The person appeared to be some kind of alien, but he'd never seen such a species before, and it was garbed in some strange blue uniform that had a red cape fluttering behind it.

Oh, and it was _supporting a falling liner_.

As if sensing being watched, the figure glanced at the camera and offered a small wave. Ranen realized he was waving back, and stopped himself. There was still a liner to land, regardless of the strange sight before him.

The spires of Tilirus came into view, shining in the low morning sun. Ranen steered the liner towards the landing strip, with the strange visitor's assistance, and let out a breath of relief when it finally touched down. Already a rescue team was scrambling towards them, no doubt attracted to the smoke coming from one of the wings, but the person was already on the move.

Ranen unbuckled, and opened the cockpit door to see the strange being calmly peeling a heavy door away, like the superstrong alloys were mere putty. Ranen felt a small tingle of fear at that, then dismissed it. If the visitor had wanted them dead, it could've just left them to die.

The visitor stepped inside, red cape billowing. Now that Ranen could see it up close, it almost reminded him of a pink asari, but with strange black fibers on its head, and with a decidedly male appearance. The uniform appeared to be skintight, revealing a muscular frame, and a strange symbol graced the man's chest. He was tall, only dwarfed by the liner's sole elcor passenger, but he was not intimidating.

"Is everyone alright?" the man inquired in flawless Turus.

Silently, the assorted passengers did their affirmative gestures. The man smiled, then turned to Ranen.

"You did a good job there, Captain. You couldn't have stopped that generator incident, but you handled the situation like a true professional."

"T-thank you," Ranen mumbled, dumbstruck by the sight.

"Now," the man said, glancing at the others, "I hope this incident hasn't put you off flying. Statistically speaking, it's still the safest way to travel."

With that, he simply stepped out of the liner, and _flew_ away. There was no sign of a flight pack or field generator; it was like an invisible string had just plucked him off the ground. Ranen watched as the figure disappeared into the sky, going up, up, and away.

"Captain," said Tarus, "what in the Spirits' names just happened?"

"Tarus," Ranen said, "I was going to ask you the same thing."


	2. Chapter 2

**One Week Later**

 **Council Private Lounge, Presidium Ring**

Tevos was not having a good day, all things considered.

It was to come with being the asari councillor on the Citadel, and thus one of the single most influential individuals in the galaxy. Every day, it was a trade agreement, or a spat between minor races, or perhaps a push to colonize a world with valuable resources. She had to confer with the other councillors, hold meetings, sign paperwork -lots of it-, and negotiate treaties.

She was used to it, however. Over the years, she'd adapted quite well to her job, and had grown to even like it.

She wasn't used to dealing with something like _this_.

"Run this by me again," she said, rubbing her temple with one finger as she laid back in her seat. "So, we've been receiving reports of this..."

"Superman," finished Bavern, the salarian Councillor. "Self-given term, apparently. Language of origin unknown."

Tevos sighed. "Is it the name of its species?"

"Do you constantly tell others that you're asari?" asked Lintus, the turian councillor, who was pacing about the room and adding to Tevos's headache. "I believe Superman is its name, or at least its title. It hasn't exactly stopped for questioning."

"I've gathered that much." Tevos looked down at the list she'd been given. "Seven days ago: mysterious 'Superman' saves cruise liner over Palaven, then also stops to prevent a landslide on Dekuuna, thwarts an attempted robbery on Thessia, and helps a boy on Sur'kesh find his lost pet. And this is all in the first day of its arrival."

"Speed of this individual far outpaces mass relays, let alone starships." Bavern absentmindedly sniffed and scratched her chin. "Conservative estimate of speed is several billion _c_ , also assuming that target uses mass relays. Technology far outstrips ours."

Lintus stopped his pacing. "Technology? _Technology_? Didn't you read the reports?! He's been doing all of this in a skintight suit, only using his bare hands! When the liner failed, he _carried_ it to safety, like it was just a toy kite!"

"You have to admit, the idea is outlandish," Tevos said. "A person who can lift a starship with his bare hands, or zip about the galaxy faster than anyone else? Sounds like a story made by some teenagers."

"Am I the only one who actually reads the reports?" Lintus asked, exasperated. "The captain of the liner personally _spoke_ with the man, and saw him up close. The cameras clearly showed him carrying the liner, and ripping away the hatch like putty! Just yesterday, there was footage of him walking through gunfire like it was a breeze as he stopped a gang shootout on some station."

"Do you also believe the elcor report that this 'Superman' also stopped the landslide by freezing it solid with his... breath?" Tevos shot back.

"At this point, I'd believe almost anything about him." Lintus put a video on screen. "Just look at this."

Tevos turned to watch. Based on the camera angle, it appeared to be on the underbelly of a high-speed patrol craft. The image magnified, revealing a red splotch moving through the blackness of space. The figure turned, and Tevos sucked in a gasp.

"Is that..."

"Apperance matches description," said Bavern.

"We found him entirely on accident, near one of our colony worlds," Lintus said. "We believe he may have just been enjoying the view."

"Did you just make a joke?"

"B-but he's without any equipment! How's he surviving?" Tevos exclaimed.

"How does he do any of this?" retorted the turian. "Keep watching."

The craft approached, apparently drawing Superman's attention. One moment, he was there, then he was just _gone_ in the next. Tevos blinked a few times, as if expecting the whole thing to just be a glitch.

"Was there an error in recording?" asked Bavern.

"No," Lintus replied tersely. "He did the same thing in atmosphere on Palaven, when we were trying to keep pace with him. Apparently, it amused him, if the booming chuckle heard over half of Nararus City was any indication."

In a rare gesture, he sighed. "I'm starting to wonder if we're actually the dominant power in the galaxy, now that _he's_ around; there might be an entire civilization of him, and that's a terrifying thought to contemplate. Thankfully, he seems to be on the side of law and order."

Tevos glanced back down at the image. "What's that symbol on his chest?"

"No match found in our databases," said Bavern. "Complete enigma."

"I didn't know what to expect." Tevos got up, and sighed. "I think I'll be heading on a walk, to try and clear my head."

"Take care," Lintus called after her. "I think I'll be sampling that antique brandy I received last month." **S**  
Tevos breathed in deeply, letting the cool breeze hit her face as she strolled down a narrow pathway. The scenery around the Presidium always managed to cheer her up, especially on the less busy days. Lost amongst the trees and trickling streams that seemed to bubble up from the ground, she could imagine that she was in a world of her own, without a worry in the world.

"With pleading urgency: come down, Volna."

Normally, anyway.

Tevos looked over to the source of the voice. A large elcor female was at the base of a tree, craning up as much as possible to look at a small critter dangling from the branches. The asari councillor couldn't make out just what kind of animal it was, only that it had six legs, green fur, and was the size of a volus.

"Sadly, at the verge of tears: it's not safe up there, Volna. Somebody, please get him down."

Tevos started over, cautiously. The small animal up in the tree was evidently distressed, considering how it seemed to cling to the branch for dear life.

"Hi!" a voice called from above. "Don't worry; I'll get him."

Tevos found her gaze drawn skyward, and she gasped.

It was _him_.

He was lazily swooping down, his cape flapping gently in the low gravity of the Presidium, one arm outstretched while the other was close to his brawny chest. Tevos gaped at the sight; the realization that the reports were true hit her like a brick wall. There was no sign of a flight pack, or a field; it was like seeing some ephemeral being descend from the sky, graceful.

In one smooth motion, he plucked the animal from the tree and descended down, offering it to the elcor. Tevos took another step forward, deciding whether or not to call down C-Sec.

"With ecstatic relief and joy: thank you, thank you," the female said, cradling her pet in one arm.

Superman smiled. "Just here to help. Take care."

With that, he took off again. Passing over Tevo's head, he smiled and waved as he flew away.

"Goodbye!"

Tevos blinked a few times. Superman was on the Citadel, somehow bypassing all security to reach the Presidium ring. For a moment, she considered trying to order the station locked down, but she had a feeling that wouldn't stop the strange visitor.

Then, she giggled to herself. Lintus was going to have an amusing reaction later, once she told him. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Kar'Sharn**

 **Two weeks after the Palaven Miracle**

Talalak, Hegemon of the batarians, woke with a yawn. Rising to a sitting position on his bed, he rang the bell on the nearby stand and waited, eyes still closed, for his breakfast.

When a few minutes passed, he opened them to see that there was nobody else in the chamber with him. Telisa should've already arrived with his meal; where could've the damned asari gone?

His stomach began to rumble. Muttering a curse, he threw on a robe and stomped over to the door. Throwing it open, he peered into the small kitchen he set aside for himself.

"Slave!" he barked. "Come here this instant!"

There was no reply.

Talalak gritted his teeth. If he found her, he'd haver her tongue grown back, just so he could cut it out again!

Marching through the kitchen, a piece of paper caught his eye. Grabbing it, he saw that it was a message, neatly handwritten. It wasn't Telisa's, however; in fact, it didn't resemble any kind of style he'd seen before.

 _Looks like you'll have to make your own breakfast. Signed-_

Talalak narrowed his four eyes. Instead of a name, there was just some strange symbol. What kind of name was a squiggly line incased in a diamond?

That was the less pressing matter, however. Crumpling the paper in his hand, he went back into his bedroom, punched the comms, and barked: "Meeting. Now."

 **S**

"What do you mean, 'all of them'?!" he screamed.

The delegate shrank back in her seat. "A-all of them, my Lord. It appears that all five hundred million slaves have escaped. The other worlds are reporting it as well, and in the Terminus systems."

"Escaped?! How could five hundred million escape overnight, without leaving anyone behind, and with no trace?! There aren't any starships reported missing, are there?"

"N-no, my Lord Hegemon," the delegate squeaked.

Talalak began to pace about the meeting room. Already his frustration was growing beyond tolerable levels. Why, he had to pull out his own chair to sit! And he knew the others must have been feeling the same; billions of his people were waking up to find a crucial part of household life gone. An entire pillar of the economy, vanished overnight!

He suddenly stopped.

"Have there been reports of... notes being left behind?" he asked, voice low.

"In fact, there have, my Lord Hegemon," another delegate replied. "All of them appear to be variations of 'no more slaves' or 'this is your work, now'. And they've all be signed with-"

"-A strange symbol," Talalak interrupted. "A symbol much like a squiggly line incased in a diamond?"

"How did you know, my Lord Hegemon?"

Talalak glared at the delegate. "Because I received a similar note."

Another delegate burst into the room, panting. "My lord Hegemon, we believe we have located the cause."

"Oh? Well, then, tell me."

The delegate offered a data pad. "Over the last month, there have been reports all over the galaxy of some mysterious being called 'Superman', who has been helping others. Stopping fires, rescuing stranded ships, and other tasks."

Talalak took the pad. It showed an image of some strange alien, with only two eyes, garbed in a red and blue bodysuit. A red cape was draped over its shoulders, but his attention was drawn to the symbol on its chest.

It was the same as the one on the note.

"Find him!" Talalak growled. "Send half the fleet after this 'Superman'! I want his head served to me on a platter, then broadcasted all over for everyone to see! No, scratch that; I want him as my personal slave after this... this... _mockery_!"

"But, my lord Hegemon," the delegate protested, "even the Citadel races have failed to apprehend him. And there are reports that he's just been doing this with his own-"

"Are you questioning me?" the Hegemon hissed.

The delegate hung his head. "N-no, my lord Hegemon."

"Good. Send as many soldiers as you can. Contact the slavers and gangs in the Terminus systems, too; no doubt they are frothing for blood after this. And I want them to raid any world that they come across in the hunt, too! We'll get our possessions back, and show the galaxy we mean business!"

With that, he stomped away, feeling triumphant.

 **S**

The next morning, he woke up feeling groggy. Getting to sleep was hard without his bedwarmers, and once again there was no-one to serve him breakfast. He contented himself with a fruit and water for the time being.

 _Hopefully, that will change soon enough_ , he thought to himself.

He imagined that insipid smile on the alien's face, and felt his blood boil. Closing his eyes, he soothed himself with the thought of the Superman being his slave, forced to clean the dirt from his shoes.

Going over his requests and bills, he saw that the delegates wished to hold another meeting. Since there was nothing else to do until the fleet came back, he decided to go.

When he entered and sat himself down, he saw that the faces of the delegates were ashen, their heads low. One of them worked on a report with trembling hands.

"Well?" Talalak demanded. "What matter must we contend with today?"

The nearest one cleared her throat. "The... fleet has returned, my lord Hegemon."

"Oh? Have they succeeded already?" The Hegemon smiled at the thought.

"N-no, my lord Hegemon."

Talalak's face hardened into a sneer. "Then why are they _back_?"

Another one answered. "T-they were towed back, my lord Hegemon."

" _Towed_ back?" Talalak snarled. "By whom?"

"Superman, my lord Hegemon."

For a few moments, he simply stared in silence, unblinking. His fists clenched and unclenched, as if he was wringing someone's neck, then he sucked in a deep breath.

"Explain." His voice was as cold as the void when he spoke.

"There's footage on a thousand cameras, my lord Hegemon," the delegate replied. "He zipped about, ripping away the weapons of ship and soldier alike, until the fleet was completely disarmed. He even took the kitchen knives. He then somehow... roped our ships together, like he was herding cattle, and dragged them back to their ports. It was less than ten minutes. Then, he replaced them with small canisters of this."

The delegate produced a small tube from his pocket. The alien symbol was on them, just as on the note. Cautiously, Talalak grabbed it, and fiddled around with the top.

"What's inside?"

"A non-toxic liquid that partially solidifies upon contact with the air. It doesn't even function as a binder, my lord Hegemon."

Testing it, Talalak sprayed some onto his palm. It came out in thin strings, and was a faint blue in color. It stuck to his hand a little, then fell to the desk below.

"He gave us these... silly little strings?!"

"That is not all, my lord Hegemon. He gave us a letter, directly addressed to you."

Talalak snatched the paper from the delegate's hand, and read.

 _Dear Tally,_

 _Don't worry about the slaves. They're safe and sound and where they belong: in their homes, with their families, and away from the likes of you. Don't try to send out raids for them, unless you want some more super silly string. You can have as much of that as you want, but you'll never own another sentient being again._

 _Your friend, Superman._

 _P.S: I imagine the people are going to be rather upset with you over this. Have fun._

Talalak crumpled the paper in his hand, then reared back to scream.

"Curses, Superman!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Liveship Rayya**

 **One month after the Palaven Miracle**

A sigh escaped past the lips of Admiral Vala'Mor nar Rayya vas Rayya as she looked out the window of the bridge, and down to the planet below. It was almost optimal; there was plenty of water on the surface, and though the atmosphere was devoid of oxygen, it would be a fairly simple matter to sow it with vegetation and make the atmosphere breathable. The soil had the right elements, and the gravity was not intolerable.

Unfortunately, it was too far away from its star. What could've been great oceans were little more than continent-sized glaciers, and the soil was as hard as rock. An exposed quarian would have a lifespan measured in minutes on the surface, even if they could breath the air.

It was a depressingly common sight. For every garden world there was, there were a hundred worlds that were _almost_ right. It was possible to terraform the world, but that'd require time and resources the Fleet didn't have.

That, too, was depressingly common.

Still, at least they could use the ice to replenish their water supplies, and it there could be some valuable minerals in the sparse asteroid belt they could use...

It took her a few moments to register the figure in her peripheral vision, and only then when he rapped his knuckles against the window. She stiffened as the realization hit her, and she gestured for her crewmen to remain calm. It was quite timely, too; one of them was prepared to punch the alarm before then.

Turning, she looked the figure in the eyes. He looked just as the news reports had showed him to be, down to the little curl in his hair. If it weren't for the unusual skin tone and number of fingers, he could've passed for a quarian.

A handsome one, at that.

No. Bad thoughts. Vala took a deep breath, then straightened, trying to look as professional as possible.

"Are you going to let me in?" Superman asked.

She didn't even bother to question how he could speak through the void. Weeks of constant news reports had already begun to numb her to his astounding abilities, though she had a feeling there were plenty more he was hiding. At this point, she wouldn't be surprised if he could shoot a miniature version of himself out of his palm, or change his appearance on a whim.

"Why are you here?" she asked, voice firm.

"To help, of course," he replied, flashing a smile.

* * *

 **S**

* * *

 **Fifteen Minutes Later**

Vala fidgeted as she stood on the elevated platform with the rest of the Admiralty. Getting the others aboard was hasty, but they'd managed in time when they realized who was coming.

She wondered how the others were thinking. Apparently, Superman had rescued a patrol ship a week past, and a handful of their people had been counted amongst the batarian slaves he'd liberated.

That alone was enough to warrant an audience. Rescuing nearly a billion slaves in a single fortnight, and crippling what was perhaps the most despised government in the galaxy at the same time? He'd already made his way into legend as a hero on unprecedented scale. And if he was willing to use that same power to help her own people...

She dismissed it for the time being; there was no use in jumping to conclusions.

"Here he comes," Bal'Povah declared.

Vala stood at attention as Superman calmly strode inside, flanked on each side by guards. It was a false assurance, she knew; the guns might as well been toys for all it mattered. Yet, she had a feeling there was nothing to be worried about here. It seemed that species mattered little to him, and perhaps that would extend to the quarians.

"Hello," Superman said.

"You previously stated that you wish to help the quarian people," Bal'Povah said.

Superman nodded. "I did."

"Could you elaborate upon it?" Neem'Tan asked.

"Well, I have looked into your plight, and the circumstances around it. I know that you lost your homeworld to your own creations, and you haven't been well-received by the rest of the galactic community, which I feel is wrong. So, I hope to help get you a home, and improve relations between you and the galaxy."

"You'll help us retake Rannoch from the geth?" The question escaped Vala before she could stop it.

Superman frowned. "I'm not a soldier. I don't fight wars. But I'm willing to help you make a treaty with the geth and get Rannoch back."

"A _treaty_?" Bal asked, incredulous. "You said you've looked into our history, so you should know-"

"I know," Superman said. "You see the geth as enemies, but that doesn't have to be. Where I'm from, there's an old saying: I destroy my enemies when I make peace with them."

"And you actually think peace is possible with the geth?" Vala asked.

"They sent an envoy after me, and I decided to listen to what they were saying, if only so they'd stop causing panic wherever they followed after me. They say that they're willing to give back Rannoch and help you rebuild, as long as you don't make them your servants again."

For a moment, Vala felt a warm feeling in her chest at the thought of being on Rannoch, with the wind in her hair, and a true home for herself. It sounded too good to be true.

"Though we may be willing to trust you, we cannot trust the geth," Bal said. "They could be deceiving you."

Superman shrugged. "Maybe. But they can't pose a threat to me. I'll act as your diplomat if you desire, and keep contact at a minimum between you and the geth for the time being if you wish."

Vala had to admit, it was awfully tempting. For a strange alien in a blue bodysuit, he could be rather charismatic. It helped that he actually bothered to speak Khelish, instead of simply using a translator like other aliens; it gave the impression that he was actually concerned about them. Whenever Vala spoke with an asari or turian, they always seemed as though they wanted the conversation over as soon as possible.

But as she spoke to Superman, she felt none of that.

"This is a decision that will take time," she finally said.

"I understand," Superman said. "I'll leave you to it, right after I offer a token of trust."

Before Vala could decipher what he meant by that, Superman vanished. Bal let out a gasp at the sight, and the guards looked certainly startled.

"Where did he go?" Neem demanded.

"He could be halfway across the galaxy at this point," Vala said. "We'll just have to wait and see."

Right on cue, a call came up from the bridge. Tapping the comms, she answered.

"This is Admiral Vala'Mor. What is the situation?"

"Admiral, the nearby world is... moving."

Silence reigned for a few seconds. Bal looked as though he'd keel over at any second, and Neem was as still as a statue.

"What do you mean, 'moving'?"

"It's... being pushed into a closer orbit, and quickly, too. Wait... we have a visual on the planet's nightside."

"Put it onscreen."

A grainy image appeared, of a blue shape on the surface. It began to magnify and enhance, and Vala gasped as a now-familiar symbol came into clarity.

Superman looked as though he was doing a handstand on the planet's surface, a few small cracks forming in the ice beneath his palms. Yet, Vala knew there was something else at play.

"He's _pushing_ the planet," she breathed.

"H-how is that even _possible_?!" Bal squeaked, sounding very unadmiral-like.

"How is anything he does possible?" Vala shot back.

"But why?" Neem asked. "Why is he moving the planet?"

Vala didn't answer. Instead, she watched as Superman did the impossible. After a few minutes, he switched to the other side of the planet, and pressed his shoulders into the ground, muscles straining slightly; for a moment, it looked as though he was carrying the world, like some god of old. Briefly, Vala wondered if the planet would crack and buckle under the immense strain it was being put under, but there seemed to be nary a tremble.

Eventually, the planet settled into its new orbit, and Superman disappeared. Though only a few minutes had passed, she could already see faint clouds rising from the planet's surface as the now-closer sun began to melt the glaciers and evaporate their surfaces. In a relatively short time, there'd be oceans in their stead, and she gasped as she realized Superman's intentions.

"He made us a new world, all for us," she whispered, tears brimming in her eyes. "And he didn't even make demands, or asked us for some hideous expensive favors. He did it because it was the right thing to do."

There was a soft _thump_ to her side, and she vaguely realized Bal had fainted.


	5. Chapter 5

**Presidium Ring**

"Outrageous!" Lintus barked, mandibles flared as he glared at the figure standing below. "You colonize a world without alerting the council, and now you wish to to re-enter?!"

"We simply wish to resume more proper relations," the quarian said, her voice firm. "And the system containing Keel'Super is not within the space of any of your races. We felt no need to alert you of our settlement."

"The second planet had been selected for a future terraforming mission by the salarians," Bavern retorted. "Such mission was scheduled for the end of the decade."

"We had not been told of your mission, but it matters little," the quarian replied. "We have already settled two-thirds of our people on the surface. Millions are touching solid ground for the first time in their lives. We will not be easily dissuaded from Keel'Super."

"You keep calling it that," Tevos said. "Does it have any connection with the individual known as Superman?"

"He gave us the world," said the quarian. "He made it into a home for us, with his own two hands!"

Lintus snorted. "Ever since the liberation of the batarian slaves, many have been claiming that Superman was responsible for many things, but that doesn't make all of them true. We have no reason to believe that he actually terraformed a world for you and said you could colonize it."

"We have records of him doing it," the quarian said through gritted teeth.

"Records can be fabricated. It'd take more to-"

Suddenly, the heavy doors swung open, and a figure calmly strolled in, his footsteps echoing in the now-silent chamber. A red cape billowed gently behind him, and he stopped right next to the quarian envoy, arms folded.

"Is this enough?" Superman asked.

Tevos gaped. "You..."

"I was handling some business when I overheard. I can verify that I allowed the quarian people to settle on the planet after I helped terraform it for them."

"And how did you do that?" Bavern asked.

Superman smiled. "I gave it a little nudge in the right direction."

Two dozen C-Sec guards aimed their weapons at him. He sighed, and gave a look that screamed 'really?'.

"Stand down," Lintus reluctantly said. "It wouldn't do any good, anyway."

"Who gave you the right to grant the quarians a world?" Bavern said, voice accusatory.

"Who gives you the right to deny them one?" Superman shot back. "The quarians are not under your jurisdiction."

Tevos spoke up. "But the world is."

"I decided to read your laws and documents while I wasn't busy, and found something interesting: the system had not been officially claimed by the salarians, as they were waiting until the terraforming survey to make that decision. Therefore, it's fair game."

"What legal documents are you speaking of?" Lintus asked.

"Sur'Kesh Survey Deliberation, number two hundred and seventy-nine," Superman replied cooly.

The turian councillor pulled up the document on his omni-tool, then glanced over at Bavern. "He's right."

"Of course, I'm not concerned about legalities, here," Superman said. "I don't necessarily do what's legal; I do what's right. And I feel giving the quarians a home was right."

"You've outright admitted you have no care for our laws," Bavern said.

"In batarian space, slavery was legal," Superman said. "Did you feel it was right?"

Bavern fell silent. Superman paused for a few moments, then continued.

"I don't go out of my way to break laws, but I won't hesitate if the cause is right. I know you think your treatment of the quarians is justified due to the geth, but I disagree. The ones who created the geth are long dead; you're punishing an entire race for the actions of their ancestors. If you were in their place, you would have no complaint if I violated a law to give you a home. Trust me; I know what it's like."

Another silence. It was Tevos who finally broke it.

"You personally saved fifteen million of my people from the batarians. You've mended tens of millions of broken families throughout Citadel space. And now, you have given a nomadic people a future. You have proven yourself to the galaxy, and so I say the quarians can remain on Keel'Super."

Superman flashed a funny look at the quarian ambassador.

"I say so as well," Lintus said.

"As do I," Bavern grumbled.

Superman smiled. "Thank you."

* * *

 **S**

* * *

"You've secured Rannoch for us?" Vala asked, voice hopeful.

Superman nodded, keeping to her side as they strolled through the gardens of the Presidium. Behind them, a pair of C-Sec guards kept their eyes peeled, but it was more for show than anything else.

"I offered the geth a new home, and they'll take it once they've finished repairing yours by the end of the month. They were happy to take the offer. Well, as happy as geth can be."

"That reminds me," Vala said. "You mentioned that you 'know what it's like'. What do you mean by that?"

Superman sighed. "It's a long story."

"We have time."

"Maybe later. There's still a lot to do, and not a lot of time to do it."

"True," Vala admitted. "It must be a never-ending battle for you, isn't it?"

"Truth, Justice, and the American Way," Superman murmured.

"Pardon? What does 'amerekin' mean?"

"Uh, it means freedom," came the quick reply. "I should go, anyway."

"Can you at least tell me where the geth will go?"

Superman smiled as he began to fly away. "Somewhere they won't be bothered."

* * *

 **S**

* * *

 **Fortress of Solitude**

"Everything okay down there? Brainiac's tech can be iffy at times, and I don't like having to do repeated shrinkings."

"Yes, Superman-Caretaker. The Shell experienced no difficulties in the latest transference. All programs are running optimally."

"Glad to hear it."

Superman carefully lifted the Shell with special-made tweezers. It was smaller than a grain of sand, but he could still see it perfectly, and he took care not to disturb it too much as he carried it over.

"Are the Creators settling on the homeworld?"

"Many of them are. They're happy to have a home again."

"We regret that we must minimize relations with the Creators."

"Maybe for now, but that can change with time."

Superman carefully lowered the Shell into the large bottle. He managed to avoid the artificial sun at the apex, and the Shell touched down softly on the ground. Already a crowd was gathering around the structure, some carrying connective equipment.

"Take care down there," Superman said. "They'll help you out with anything you need."

"Thank you, Superman-Caretaker. Perhaps in time, we shall meet the Creators again."

One of the figures, smaller than all but the most minuscule organisms, reached out and touched the Shell's exterior, smiling.

"Welcome to Kandor, Geth Consensus."

"We are glad to be welcomed."


End file.
